A refrigerator can include an icemaker to provide ice cubes to a user. The ice cubes can be produced automatically or without any interaction with a user. Generally, the icemaker is disposed in a compartment in a door of the refrigerator and ice cubes can be can be dispensed through an opening in the door.
Icemakers can initiate a harvest cycle to replenish a diminished ice cube supply when a sensor indicates that an ice cube level has been depleted below a predetermined threshold. The ice cube level sensor can be a feeler arm or other type of sensor. When the sensor indicates that the ice cube level has dropped below the predetermined threshold, the harvest cycle can be initiated. Alternatively, when the sensor indicates that the ice cube level has exceeded a predetermined threshold, the harvest cycle is prevented from initiating until the sensed ice cube level has again dropped below the predetermined threshold.
When a harvest cycle is initiated before ice cubes are fully frozen, a premature harvest occurs. During a premature harvest, hollow or deformed ice cubes can be formed. The malformed ice cubes can overfill the ice cube storage bin causing an inaccurate detection of the ice cube level by the sensor. In addition, a device that dislodges the ice cubes from the ice cube mold, such as a rake, can become jammed during the harvest cycle preventing normal operation.
Conventionally, a temperature sensing device can be used to prevent premature harvest of ice cubes. The temperature sensing device can detect a temperature within the icemaker to determine when ice cubes are fully frozen after a harvest cycle is initiated. However, sensing the ambient temperature within the within the icemaker can be inaccurate because while the air temperature reaches a predetermined threshold the temperature of the water may not be low enough to freeze into ice cubes.
In another conventional approach, a time component can be added to a temperature sensing method in the icemaker to prevent premature harvesting. The temperature within the icemaker can be monitored until it reaches a predetermined temperature. Once the predetermined temperature is reached, a timer can be initiated and a harvesting cycle can begin after a predetermined time interval elapses. This method is also inaccurate due to the inaccuracies in the temperature sensing element. In addition, the rate at which the ice is produced is inconsistent because the time to reach the predetermined temperature is variable.
Thus, a need exists for an improved icemaker control system that reduces the likelihood of the above-mentioned disadvantages. A system and method that can prevent premature ice harvests would be particularly useful.